Episode 638: The Crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571

Summary

Podcast Summary: Morbid - Episode 638: The Crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571

Introduction: Setting the Tone In Episode 638 of Morbid, titled "The Crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571," hosts Ash and Elena delve into one of the most harrowing survival stories in aviation history. Released on January 20, 2025, this episode explores not only the infamous aspects of the crash, including cannibalism, but also the remarkable human spirit and teamwork that led to the survivors' eventual rescue.

Background: The Old Christians Club and Their Journey [07:36 - 10:12] Ash begins by introducing listeners to the Old Christians Club, an amateur Uruguayan rugby team. In 1972, 45 members booked a flight to Chile to participate in a championship game. For many, it was their first time flying and traveling far from home, filled with excitement and anticipation ([07:36] Ash).

The Flight and Initial Crashes [10:12 - 18:10] The narrative progresses to October 12, 1972, when Flight 571 departs from Carrasco Airport but encounters severe weather over the Andes. Due to delayed departure and worsening conditions, the experienced pilots, Julio Cesar Ferradis and Dante Hector Lagarara, decide to proceed through the mountains despite strict regulations against spending more than 24 hours on Argentinian soil ([12:44] Ash).

As the flight battles turbulence and unexpected drops, the plane's structure begins to fail. At approximately 2:30 PM, the aircraft spirals out of control, ultimately crashing into a steep valley cushioned by deep snowfall. Remarkably, 16 of the 45 passengers survive the initial impact, though many are severely injured ([18:10] Ash).

Immediate Aftermath: Waking Up in the Wreckage [22:43 - 28:38] Post-crash, Roberto Canessa, a medical student, and Gustavo Zerbino, another medical participant, awaken to the grim reality. They find themselves isolated, surrounded by mountains on three sides and a vast, desolate valley. With minimal supplies and no cold-weather gear, the survivors face extreme sub-zero temperatures and dehydration risks ([25:05] Ash).

Survival Struggles: Enduring the Elements [28:38 - 38:38] Ash and Elena detail the survivors' efforts to stay warm and maintain hope. They ration scarce food supplies, using what little they have to survive the harsh conditions. Despite the freezing environment, the group remains resilient, sharing body heat and supporting each other through the chilling nights ([35:20] Elena).

Cannibalism Decision: A Morbid Necessity [38:38 - 48:20] As days turn into weeks, food scarcity becomes dire. Nando Parrado, one of the survivors, proposes the unthinkable: cannibalism. Roberto Canessa, drawing on his medical background, rationalizes the act by stating, "It is meat. That's all it is" ([40:35] Ash). After much deliberation and moral anguish, the group consensually decides to consume the deceased to sustain the living, marking a profound testament to their will to survive ([40:42] Ash).

Rescue Efforts: The Grueling Trek [48:20 - 70:44] With dwindling hope of rescue, Parrado, Canessa, and Antonio Vizcaino embark on a perilous 37-mile trek across the Andes to seek help. Battling exhaustion, altitude sickness, and treacherous terrain, their journey is fraught with immense challenges. Miraculously, on December 20, they encounter Sergio Catalan, a local farmer who assists in their rescue efforts by trekking back to the crash site with them ([69:02] Ash).

Aftermath: Lives Changed Forever [70:44 - 85:02] The rescue of the remaining survivors brings immense relief to their families, who had believed them dead. Ash and Elena highlight the survivors' immediate return to relative health, despite the severe malnutrition and injuries sustained. In the years that followed, survivors like Nando Parrado became motivational speakers, sharing their incredible story of endurance and teamwork. Roberto Canessa pursued a career in medicine, becoming a pediatric cardiologist and continuing to advocate for the lessons learned from their ordeal ([75:12] Ash).

Notable Quotes

• Roberto Canessa: "It is meat. That's all it is." ([40:35] Ash)
• Nando Parrado: "I knew that when I gave the first step to leave the fuselage, I was not coming back. This is a kamikaze expedition." ([62:01] Ash)
• Elena: "We're here proof that you could do legitimately, anything." ([83:10] Elena)

Concluding Insights: The Power of Human Spirit Morbid Episode 638 offers a comprehensive look into the survival story of Flight 571, emphasizing the extraordinary human spirit, resilience, and the lengths people will go to preserve life. Ash and Elena provide a balanced narrative that honors the survivors' bravery while acknowledging the moral complexities of their choices. This episode serves as a profound reminder of the strength found in unity and the unyielding will to survive against all odds.

Final Thoughts The episode not only recounts the factual events but also delves into the psychological and emotional landscapes of the survivors. By presenting detailed accounts and personal reflections, Ash and Elena ensure that listeners gain a deep understanding of what it takes to endure such a catastrophic event and emerge with stories of hope and perseverance.

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This summary captures all key points, discussions, insights, and conclusions from Episode 638 of Morbid. It is structured with clear sections, includes notable quotes with proper attribution and timestamps, and flows naturally to provide a comprehensive overview for those who haven't listened to the episode.

Transcript

[A]

Hey, weirdos. Before we dive into today's twisted tale, let me tell you about a place where the darkness never ends. Wondery. It's like stepping into a haunted mansion where the floorboards creak. With ad free episodes and early access to new episodes lurks around every corner. So come join us if you dare. Morbid is available one week early and ad free only on Wondery. You can join Wondery in the Wondery app or in Apple podcasts or Spotify. You're listening to a Morbid network podcast. The Apple Watch Series 10 is here.

[B]

It has the biggest display ever. It's also the thinnest Apple watch ever, making it even more comfortable on your wrist whether you're running, swimming, or sleeping. And it's the fastest charging Apple Watch, getting you eight hours of charge in just 15 minutes. The Apple Watch Series 10, available for.

[A]

The first time in glossy jet black aluminum.

[B]

Compared to previous generations, iPhone Xs are later required. Charge time and actual results will vary. Thumbtack presents the ins and outs of caring for your home. Out uncertainties, self doubt, stressing about not knowing where to start. In plans and guides that make it easy to get home projects done. Out. Wordart. Sorry. Live laugh lovers in knowing what to do, when to do it and who to hire. Start caring for your home with confidence. Download thumbtack today. Hey, weirdos. I'm Ash. And I'm Elena and this is Morbid 2025.

[A]

2025 edition.

[B]

It's our first episode. It's not the first episode you're listening to in 2025, but it's our first recording from 2020. It is January 3rd. Second.

[A]

Yeah, it's the second.

[B]

Check us out. I woke up early. I went on a walk on the treadmill.

[A]

This bitch is in her resolution era.

[B]

I made breakfast and I never make breakfast.

[A]

I made a new kind of breakfast for the kids. I got up early. I made like a yummy little, like, breakfast sandwich in the oven.

[B]

Yeah, tell them about it.

[A]

It's like a yummy biscuity crescent roll with cheese and eggs. And then I also made them a yummy lunch. Yeah, Pizza rolls, which I always make them lunch, obviously, but. And breakfast. But I made like some different ones. That's part of my resolution is to come up with more creative lunches for their school lunches.

[B]

I love that. I have so many resolutions this year and I'm gonna nail all of them.

[A]

We are.

[B]

We both are.

[A]

We're lousy with resolutions.

[B]

We are. And I feel like I don't. I'm like drawing A blank. If you've had a lot of resolutions in the past, I usually don't make like I'll. I'll be like, oh, I'm going to eat healthier.

[A]

That's. Mine are always very nonchalant. But this year they're shallant.

[B]

I am so shallant this year.

[A]

I feel very shallant is my resolution.

[B]

We're about to be shalant as fuck.

[A]

I got so many just visions for this year.

[B]

Yeah. And it's an. It's not only a new year, like calendar for you, it's a new year of life for you. Because it was just Elena's birthday.

[A]

It was. Yeah. Yay. It's true.

[B]

She's like 87 now.

[A]

I am not 87. It's crazy. I am what I am and I.

[B]

That's all that you are.

[A]

That's all that I am. Bye. Bye. Yeah. So we're excited. It's the year of exciting things.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Lots of things are going to evolve. Lots of things are going to get better.

[B]

Yeah. It's the year of like greatness.

[A]

Yeah, we're. I'm excited. 2025.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It's here, it's here, babies. It's here, it's here, it's here, it's here.

[B]

It's finally here.

[A]

And we've been waiting for it because last year was shite.

[B]

It was poo poo.

[A]

And it wasn't even. That's the thing. Like last year was not complete shit.

[B]

No. You made the New York Times best sellers.

[A]

I reached number one on the New York. That's been the dream since the beginning. The dawn of time. I hit that. I am forever happy and grateful for that. That best year ever for that. But it's like other stuff. It was just a tough year.

[B]

We were. We were swimming through the weeds, baby.

[A]

Yeah, it was tough.

[B]

So I felt like I was like waitressing again.

[A]

You can never have a fully shit year or, you know, I mean, like.

[B]

Yeah, there's always a little bad.

[A]

No matter what, there's always blips of greatness.

[B]

Of course. Yeah. You know, this year though. This year is going to be just.

[A]

Greatness across the board.

[B]

Awesome. Hell yeah.

[A]

Bad.

[B]

No pupuka.

[A]

No pupukaka. Everybody manifest greatness for yourself because you can do it.

[B]

I started leaning to the Secret and I know it's like super woo, but I'm into it.

[A]

Okay. I love that.

[B]

I think everyone should perfect to it.

[A]

That's perfect.

[B]

Yeah. I'm only speaking about the things I want and the things I will have.

[A]

Well, honest that's just nice.

[B]

It is.

[A]

That's not even like. Woo. That's just. That's just nice.

[B]

Nice.

[A]

It's the law of attraction, positivity, you.

[B]

Know, let's fucking go, girls.

[A]

And honestly, we need more of it in this world right now.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Shit's popping off.

[B]

But not in our. Not in our.

[A]

And this will be way past the time now. But like New Orleans we're thinking of. Yeah. Yes. And I know we're. It seems like we're. We're far delayed from what that happened probably because again, I have no fucking clue when this episode comes out, but right now it's very fresh. While we were recording it, I posted some stuff on my Instagram about, like, there's gonna be some blood donations and stuff happening. I. I wish we could get this out sooner, but, you know, but just know that no matter what, we're thinking of New Orleans right now. So with that being said, let's get into hair toss. That hair toss.

[B]

She just whipped her hair out. And she said. With that being said.

[A]

And she got.

[B]

She got comfy to tell the story.

[A]

Because whenever I. I do, we do a recording. We both have this problem where we get so hot.

[B]

So you immediately have to take a layer off.

[A]

I was immediately sweating.

[B]

Toss your curls.

[A]

Well, we figured we would start off this. You know, we didn't even plan this, but we're gonna start the year off with a mostly survival story.

[B]

Hell yeah.

[A]

Some people pass away in this. Not great. Very tragic. This story is brutal. It's tragic. But it's also got this side of it that is like, really inspiring, like really beautiful. These people came together and took care of each other. We're talking about the crash of Uruguayan air force flight 571. Okay. You may know it as the case, the alive case. There's a movie about it. There's a book about it. I'm sure you know it for one particular aspect of it, but Dave and I are here to broaden your horizons to tell you more about it. Because that is one very big aspect of it. Obviously, you know, the cannibalism is a big part of this, but when you hear the other shit that these people survived and the way that they, like held onto each other and took care of each other and just immediately went into survival mode. They all like. The mindset that everyone went into is like unbelievable. Because it's hard. Have to. Yeah.

[B]

You.

[A]

But some people can't.

[B]

No, I could. I don't know that I could.

[A]

Yeah, it's like that and These people did. It's really. It's really, really a fascinating case. So let's start back in 1971. The old Christians Club, which was an amateur Uruguayan rugby team, they charted a small plane to Chile to play in a championship game against the Chilean national team.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

For most members of the Old Christians, the trip was honestly the first time they'd ever been on a plane and the first time they'd ever traveled far away from home. Oh, God. This is not. When they crashed. Oh, okay. They didn't end up winning the championship, but the trip was pretty exciting, pretty fun, pretty great. Everybody loved it. So when they returned home, they were like, we gotta start planning another trip for the next year. Like, this was too much fun. So by the time the next year came around, the team found themselves, unfortunately not in the best position like last year for going to the nationals.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

They'd been a little overconfident here, causing them to lose the Uruguayan championship. And this is a quote to a team they considered inferior.

[B]

Oh, no.

[A]

I think the cockiness got the best of them here. The loss made the team's officers questioned whether, honestly, they wanted to invest the money in a trip for what they were considering a losing team at this point. But eventually, they ended up being convinced that this was a good idea. It was going to be fun. It was going to be great. And in the fall of 1972, the members of the Old Christians Club began planning their trip to Santiago, Chile.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Despite their enthusiasm, there was some problems right away. The cost of charting the small Fairchild FH227D plane from the Uruguayan Air Force was approximately $1,600, which now is $12,000.

[B]

I was gonna say, I feel like that today. In terms of money, that would be a lot.

[A]

Yeah. So in order to afford it, they were gonna have to fill all 40 seats. Now, they only had 19 people on their team. Oh, so that's a problem.

[B]

That's a big problem.

[A]

So they were faced with the very real possibility of having to cancel this trip. And so the members of the team started reaching out to friends, family, anyone they thought might be interested in taking a trip to Chile.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

By the time the day of the flight had arrived, they had assembled a group of 40 passengers which were including family members of the team, several students visiting, you know, interested in visiting Chile, and one woman who was traveling to attend her daughter's wedding.

[B]

OH.

[A]

Now, around 6am on October 12, 1972, the passengers started arriving at the Carrasco airport to board the plane. Everyone was super, like, Light. The mood was light. You know, everyone's just excited. It's like, this is a fun little trip. But they soon encountered another problem. One person from their group, Gilberto Regulis, had not arrived. Okay. Although it was a private flight and obviously they didn't have like the strictest schedule, they had been informed that the flight would need to leave as early as possible to avoid bad weather.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

So they were put behind by him being late. The flight was finally able to leave a little after 8am, piloted by two very experienced pilots who are actually from the Uruguayan Air Force. Oh, wow. But because of the late start, the plane ran into the weather that made it impossible to pass through the Cordillera range and into the Andes. So they had to land the plane in Mendoza, Argentina and wait till the following day because they didn't want to go through that weather.

[B]

Yeah, smart.

[A]

Especially going through a mountain range.

[B]

Yeah, that could be wily.

[A]

Now, the pilots were not just concerned about the weather though. There was this like super strict regulation against the Uruguayan Air Force where they couldn't spend more than 24 hours on Argentinian soil.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

And if they did, they would get fined, like seriously fined, or they would get a more serious penalty. It's like an international incident at that point. Like, it's not good.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Now, under those circumstances, the pilots told the passengers to, you know, go, come back to the airport by 1pm and.

[B]

We'Ll be, we gotta get outta here.

[A]

But when they arrived, the pilots were nowhere to be seen. Instead, several administrative delays caused them to be late. They ended up missing the window to leave and having to wait until the next morning.

[B]

Oh, shit.

[A]

This is the flight, by the way, the amount of times that this got like derailed, when you look back on it, you're like, whoa. What was, like, what was at play here? The next morning, everyone gathered at the airport only to find that the weather conditions over the Andes had not improved.

[B]

Oh, no.

[A]

But the Uruguayans were under a tight time restriction to leave Argentina. So the pilot and co pilot, Julio Cesar Ferradis and Dante Hector Lagarara, decided that it was honestly better to probably face the inclement weather than risk a literal international incident.

[B]

Yeah, I can get that.

[A]

I understand the thought process there because they're also very experienced pilots, they're in the Air Force. Like, they're probably thinking, okay, we can get through it. It's going to be turbulent, but we'll get through that. It's a short flight.

[B]

Oh, but it's a small plane.

[A]

Yeah. And because, you know, they had to make the choice. The flight left Mendoza a little after 2pm okay. Within a few minutes, the plane had reached 18,000ft and was cruising between 20 and 60 knots. And they were thinking they were going to reach Santiago in honestly, a little under two hours. It was going be super fast.

[B]

That's a quick flight.

[A]

It was an older model plane, but it was equipped with an automatic direction finder, also known as an adf, and a VHF omnidirectional range. Both of these things were critical for keeping the flight on course and staying in the proper airspace.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

About an hour into the flight, the plane reached the cordillera and Lagarara dropped into a new air lane and switched frequencies to put them in contact with air traffic control in Santiago. Yeah. So as he did this, they entered a patch of dense cloud cover, and so they ascended so that they could get better visibility over it. At this point, everything's going fine. Flight is on schedule. Now, at 3.21pm, Lagara radioed Santiago to inform them that they were over the pass of Planchon and were about to fly over Carico, which is a small town on the west side of the Andes. A few minutes later, Lagarara radioed again to say the flight was making a slight right angle in order to course correct and keep the right flight path. Unable to track the flight, Santiago's air traffic control took the co pilot at his word because once they go out of that flight, like he can't do anything.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And he was like, you know what? I'm basically, air traffic control is like, he's probably been accurately tracking the flight. So they authorized him to descend to 10,000ft and they began preparing for the descent. Okay, now the plane had descended 3,000ft and again it was going to be descending 10,000ft.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So it went down 3,000ft when they shifted from one air current to another, and that caused the plane to jump and shake as it moved to one from that current. Can I just say, I give you.

[B]

So much credit for telling this story as somebody with a fear of flying.

[A]

Now, the reason I am okay with this is one, we have different regulations, and two, this is a smaller plane.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And three, it's flying very close to a mountain range and I have no plans to do that. Lagarara turned on the seatbelt signs and directed the passengers to go back to their seats just to avoid any injuries during the turbulence. And a minute or two later, the plane lurched and dropped several hundred feet because it hit an air pocket. Oh, I think we've all kind of been in that scenario where it hits an air pocket and it just goes, yep. I'm not horrifying. I can get in the vibe now that like turbulence won't make you fall out of the sky and it's just jello air pockets can go fuck themselves. Because that has happened to me. And I thought I was like, this is it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, it's just, it's the worst feeling.

[B]

That shit's scary in the world to me. Yeah. Not fun.

[A]

And this one, the several hundred feet drop, the passengers were all very alarmed, like they were panicked a little bit. And now the, the young men on the rugby team started to chant, hoping that the words would distract the other passengers from this like panicked moment.

[B]

I'm not gonna lie, I would fucking hate that.

[A]

I would hate that so much. I just, they were doing it thinking, like, just listen to us, just listen to us. Like, don't pay attention to what's happening. They're like, that's sweet. And when you hear what they do, like, you're like, you're just like, damn. Like, you guys were just. Thank goodness it was you guys who had to like help each other, you know what I mean? Like, you were all there for each other. Now most of the members of the rugby team and the others who joined in their chant could not see out the window. So they assumed turbulence was just, you know, this is bad turbulence. But the people who could see out of the window, they were like, something's wrong here. Because that second bout of turbulence was caused by the air pocket and it caused the plane to again drop out of the cloud cover that they had been above before.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And so they could look out the window and see that they weren't seeing, you know, Chilean villages thousands of feet below them. Like they should have seen because they were descending. They saw the edges of the snow covered Andes about 10ft from the tip of the wing. Oh no, that's what I'm talking about. They were not supposed to be there. Like this was not supposed to be happening. They 10 foot feet from the tip of the wing, they see the mountain.

[B]

Dude, like, what do you, how do you come to any kind of resolution in that moment?

[A]

I give them all credit, cuz I would have immediate cardiac arrest. I think I would. That would be it. It would be curtains for me right away. Like, that's it. I see that 10. It's gone.

[B]

You would think you were in a nightmare. You would think you're dreaming.

[A]

I, I literally can't fathom this. Like my Brain won't allow me to go into this place where they had to be like, I can't.

[B]

That's called self preservation.

[A]

Yes. My brain is deep in self preservation. My imagination, boop. Turned off. Like, during this whole thing, my imagination went, I'm gonna take a holiday. I'll see you after you're done.

[B]

It erased the whiteboard. Yes.

[A]

It went by like, don't think any further into this. Yeah. Now the passengers felt the plane lurch again as the co pilot tried to make a rapid ascent, tried to lift back up so we could get the fuck out of this mountain valley, but it was too late. The engine struggled to accommodate the ascent. The right wingtip caught the edge of the mountain and it tore the right wing from the plane and sent it flying back over the fuselage where it struck the tail and ripped the tail from the plane.

[B]

The wing hit the tail of the plane?

[A]

Yep. And ripped it from the plane. As this happened, a flight attendant in a row of three young men from the team were torn. It was torn loose, the whole row. They all got sucked out of the hole. Just gone. So three of the. The people on the team and one flight attendant were sucked right out of the hole immediately.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

A few seconds later, the left wing caught on the other side of the mountain and it tore it that free and ripped a second hole in the fuselage. Then a blade from the propeller broke free, ripped into the fuselage, and it flew behind the plane. And so now the plane is flying with no tail and no wings. It's just a fuselage.

[B]

Just like free falling.

[A]

So it just started hurdling towards the mountain, like free falling. Just like nose diving towards the mountain.

[B]

My God.

[A]

It crashed into a steep valley and luckily there was deep, deep snowfall that cushioned the plane. Cushioned is a. Is probably a very, like, optimistic word for what happened here, but I see what you mean. But it would have been even worse if there was no snowfall here.

[B]

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[A]

It would later be estimated that that plane hit the mountain going approximately 230 miles per hour.

[B]

The fact that anyone survived that is absolutely mind boggling.

[A]

And so many people did.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And also they said if because it was going 230, approximately 230 miles an hour when it hit the mountain, if it had hit the floor, the ground, it would have just obliterated the fuselage.

[B]

Right.

[A]

There would have been nothing left of anybody or anything. But because of the snow, it at least cushioned it enough that it didn't obliterate it really.

[B]

Just like all the stops along the way and all the. There's some kind of weird thing going.

[A]

On there, some vibe going on. I don't know what it is. But before the plane hit the snow, two more young men were ripped out of the side, but the rest of the passengers were all buckled into their seats.

[B]

Oh, man.

[A]

Once the fuselage hit the ground, the speed caused the plane to slide down the valley as it was like losing momentum. And the crash caused tons of the rows of seats in the plane to become unsecured from the floor. And as it's flying down the valley, skidding down the valley, the rows are shifting forward. And they crushed many of the passengers between seats.

[B]

Oh my God.

[A]

So several of the passengers who fucking survived the crash were killed because they were crushed by the twisted metal and plastic in the slide on the way down the mountains.

[B]

Oh my.

[A]

And then a bunch more got way more injured in this as well.

[B]

Of course. Yeah.

[A]

And finally the plane came to a stop.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Now, Roberto Canessa, who was a medical student who'd booked the cheap flight for a short vacation in Chile. Oh, yep. He was among one of the first people to wake up in the plane because they were all gone.

[B]

Yeah. Of course.

[A]

In its slide down the mountain, the fuselage had shifted and come to a stop on its side. So it tossed the bodies of living people and dead people throughout the interior of the fuselage.

[B]

Oh, God.

[A]

So Canessa quickly located his friend Daniel Massbahns and helped to free him from his seat. And then they started making their way through the plane looking for survivors. And Roberto Canessa is a medical student, so he's trying to think of anything he can do to help anybody.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But when some of the survivors made their way out of the plane for the first time, they found themselves in the scariest scenario you can possibly imagine. Complete isolation. They were surrounded by mountain walls on three sides. And then the one open side looked straight down into a valley.

[B]

Oh God.

[A]

And they said it looked like it went on for miles, like just gone.

[B]

There's no way out.

[A]

Everywhere they look, they said they saw ice snow, and they couldn't tell whether it was. I mean, does. It was dozens and dozens of feet deep in. In places? Yeah. And because they hadn't planned on being in any cold temperatures. Yeah, they're going to Chile from Argentina. Like what? All of the passengers had dressed in warm weather clothing, of course, so that none of them were prepared for the literal sub zero Temperatures outside not packing.

[B]

My park on every flight I go on from this day forward.

[A]

Now, once outside, two of the rugby team members spotted their friend Carlos Valletta. And this is very sad. A few yards from the plane, and neither of them knew how Carlos had come to be so far outside of the plane. Yeah. But he seemed confused and was walking in the direction of that steep valley. And so they all called out to him, hoping that their voices would bring him back towards them, but it looked like he couldn't see them, he couldn't hear them, and he just walked deeper and deeper into the snow. And they were terrified that he was gonna slip and fall into the valley. So two of them tried to walk out there or, like, crawl out there to get to him, but the snow was too deep and the incline was way too steep, and so they only made it about a dozen or so feet before turning back. And they all just watched helplessly as Carlos stumbled in the snow. And then he tried to stand, but he slipped a second time, and then he just tumbled into the valley below. And they just had to watch this happen.

[B]

That's horrific.

[A]

Yeah. Like their friend just watching this happen. Now, back inside the plane, the two medical students, Robert Roberto Canessa and Gustavo Serbino, they did their best to try to help the injured people, but it's.

[B]

Like you don't even have anything.

[A]

They're medical students, too. Like, they are not doctors yet. Like, they. They only know what they know. And then again, like you said, they don't have any medical supplies, really, like. And also, Zerbino was only in his first year of medical school, and he was studying to be a psychologist, so he wasn't super familiar with emergency medicine. He had some knowledge.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But he was like, it's not like I'm specialty. Yeah. Aside from the six passengers who'd been thrown from the plane when it started to break apart, only three others died on impact.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Yeah. That's insane. I know. The rest suffered a wide range of injuries, many of which were pretty serious. Several people were unconscious, and many, mostly all, were in a state of physical or. And. Or psychological shock.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

By the time one of the team members, Moncho Sabella, managed to reach the cockpit, there was really nothing they could do to help Faradas or La Gerara, the pilot and co pilot.

[B]

Oh, that's so sad.

[A]

The nose plane had been absolutely crushed when the plane landed in the valley, and it crushed the instrument panels into the chests of the pilot and co pilot.

[B]

Oh, God.

[A]

They were still strapped into their seats and looking through the windshield, Sabella could tell that Faradas was definitely already dead, but Lagarara was. Was still alive and was conscious.

[B]

Oh, God. At that point, what do you do?

[A]

So they couldn't do anything. Like, literally, he was in bad shape, so there was really nothing they could do. So Sabella grabbed several handfuls of snow and packed them into his handkerchief just to try to, like, comfort La Guerara as he died. Like, just kind of, like, easing his wounds and stuff and just, like, being there with him.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And he just sat with him until he died. Like, just, like, comforted him.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

But he had the entire instrument panel. Like, think about a cockpit. That whole thing was crushed against him.

[B]

That's like, my imagination will not.

[A]

Yeah. Now, Nando Parrado was another passenger on the plane. And the first thing he said he remembered was absolute blackness. He said, I'm dead. This is death. It's so black that this is death. And he said when he woke up, he had no idea how much time had passed between the crash and him waking up.

[B]

That must be so strange. Like, so disorienting.

[A]

And then he said he was so thirsty. Like, all of a sudden, he was just so thirsty. So he said, if I'm dead, I cannot crave water. So he was like, I must. I'm alive. So, like, okay, that's my, like, moment. So he started coming to, and he said that's when he realized his head was throbbing and everything. Everybody was talking around him. It's just like a cacophony of voices.

[B]

The stress.

[A]

Yeah. And he said when he opened his eyes, he saw several of his friends, faces who were gathered around him. And that's when he saw that they were surrounded by the wreckage. Like, he had. He was like, what the fuck is going on? So he's like, okay. The plane crashed, and they explained it to him. They said several passengers didn't make it. And they said, unfortunately, including Nando's mother, Eugenia, and his best friend, Panchito Abal. And his sister Susie was very injured and was laying nearby on the floor of the cockpit. Oh, that's awful. Like, his whole family's there. Yeah. And Nando remembered crawling over to where she was laying on the floor and curling up beside her. And he said, I stayed with her. I melted snow with my mouth and gave her water, because we didn't have anything. We didn't have cups.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

He melted snow in his mouth to give to his dying sister.

[B]

That is a brother.

[A]

Like, I was just like, damn, Nando. And Unfortunately, Susie would die from her injuries on the eighth day. Oh, my God. And Nando said that he had a lot. Like later is when it really hit, like, because he said. What he said later was that he learned that at those moments, my brain didn't react to anything that was outside survival. I couldn't cry. I didn't feel sorrow.

[B]

Yeah, you're in shock.

[A]

And he said they buried her alongside the others that. The day after she died.

[B]

Oh, that's so sad.

[A]

Now, the next day, when Nando was able to stand and kind of walk, he went outside for the first time and was overwhelmed by what he saw. He said, I saw the magnitude of the place we were in. It's immense. It's huge. And I said, fuck, this is going to be horrible. How are we going to get out of here? They won't find us here.

[B]

I mean, I don't know. Like, how would. I don't even know how they were found.

[A]

And, well, and it's worse because he was right. There was very little chance of anyone having found them on that ridge because when the plane failed to arrive in Santiago, the Chilean air search and Rescue service was alerted and they started searching by the air. But the problem was the plane had come to rest at an elevation of roughly 12,000ft, and it was tucked into a valley, which is not very visible from the air anyway. And also the fuselage was white, so it was just blending into the snow.

[B]

And I didn't even think of that.

[A]

And then what's even worse is that the search and rescue team were searching an area they believed the plane had been to based on the flight plan. They never knew that they had gone off course because they had just kind of trusted each other there.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then all hell broke loose. Now, in the first few days after the crash, the survivors listened to updates on the plane's radio until after 10 days, they heard a report that the search was called off. Imagine hearing that. No, like, of all they've gone through and all they've been through up to this point, and then you hear that they're not looking for you anymore.

[B]

I. Because you would just think, I'm going to die here.

[A]

And what's wild is they didn't lose hope here.

[B]

That's remarkable.

[A]

They somehow took this as like, okay, now our survival is in our hands.

[B]

Like, so we need to do it.

[A]

Like, what the fuck? I'm like, that is.

[B]

I mean, you go one of two ways there.

[A]

The strength that, like, talk about the human spirit right there.

[B]

Like, damn, team building.

[A]

Like, the Fact that they're just like, okay, so they're not looking for us anymore. Now we got to do it. We're the only people who can get us out of here. It's now. Ramon. Sabella said, thinking of the suffering that must have caused our families at home made us even more determined to survive.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

So knowing that the search was called off and knowing their families were probably devastated, they were like, now we got to get the out of here. And of course, none of the survivors had any idea where they were or which direction that civilization even was.

[B]

And then you must be so scared to go in the wrong direction to end up even further.

[A]

Exactly. Now, the first week or so on the mountain was spent taking stock of their resources, stabilizing the injured, and reinforcing what very little shelter they had inside the plane. But those that were physically able to spent most of their time doing their best to cover the holes in the side of the plane to keep out the sub zero wind. And then they also were piling and packing snow to create a barrier from the elements. And since it was supposed to be a short trip with a small number of people, there weren't many resources to even be had in that plane. Chile has a warm climate like we were talking about, so no one had clothing for cold weather. And other than some candy and other small snacks, there was no food on board. And they couldn't find the luggage. The luggage was nowhere to be found. The environment also offered very little in that respect. They were not going to find food out here. It was freezing cold, super desolate. Other than some roots and some highly questionable berries, which they definitely all found out, there was very little to eat out there.

[B]

Oh, man.

[A]

What they did have, though, was snow in every direction. So at least they thought they were like, okay, well, we're not gonna dehydrate.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, we always have water. We can always just eat snow and melt snow.

[B]

How long can you go without food? How many days? I gotta Google it.

[A]

I don't know how many days you can go.

[B]

I know. I can't remember which one is longer. It's.

[A]

It's definitely food.

[B]

It's food, right?

[A]

Yeah. You can go longer without food than water. I think you dehydrate wicked quick.

[B]

Yeah, that's. Yeah, it says so. The body's response to not eating can be broken down into three phases. Phase one, the body uses its stored glucose and glycogen, which usually happens within 24 hours. Then phase two, your body breaks down fat to create glucose and ketone bodies to Fuel the brain, which we were just saying, these are athletes. They don't have a high body fat percentage. And then phase three, the body breaks down muscle tissue to convert amino acids to glucose. This phase is called protein wasting and can be fatal if protein loss is over 50%.

[A]

Damn, that's crazy.

[B]

And just think of how weak you would feel.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

And you're just trying to survive, literally.

[A]

Survive in the snow thing. Like, that was like a. To them, it was a blessing. They were like, we are surrounded by snow. We will not dehydrate. That is, like, one of the biggest problems that we would have had.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Solved. So at least we have that. And they're all like, it's. Again, the way they're looking at the situation. Like, these people had the best mindset you could possibly imagine. But it also became kind of a curse because the snow kept them hydrated. But the temperature of the snow made it difficult to consume at all because it would burn their mouths and throats. It was so cold.

[B]

Oh, God.

[A]

Now, the days were obviously exhausting. They were challenging. But the nights, I can't imagine the.

[B]

Nights were brutal because it's so much colder.

[A]

Yeah. Those. Anybody who was, you know, feeling strong physically or honestly, like, mentally, did their best to keep up the spirits of those that were injured and those who'd lost hope. You know, they were trying to make them believe that they could get out of here. They would tell them stories to pass the time. They would just sing to distract them, like, anything. And with nothing but the cloth from the seats to protect them from the cold. All of the survivors huddled close to one another during the night, just like, in one big pile in the fuselage, like, relying on body heat to keep them from freezing. And during the night, their clothing and hair would freeze, like, every single night. And they would take turns punching each other's arms and legs to improve circulation.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

And when they became too exhausted to punch to actually hit each other, they would then get as close as possible to each other and just try to breathe, like, hot breath on each other. Wow.

[B]

That's a fucking nightmare.

[A]

Like, wha. Like, just to take care of your.

[B]

Fellow human, like that, though.

[A]

Yeah. Like, and just not give up. Like, wow. And within a few weeks, everything that he had even remotely passed as food had been eaten.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And the remaining survivors were looking at starvation. They were like, we might dive star. We survived this far, and we're going to starve to death out here. And in the days immediately following the crash, they struck, they stuck to very Strict rations for everyone. A scrap of. And they said from Alive, which is a very interesting book. I highly recommend it. We'll definitely link it. Link in the show notes, they said, a scrap of chocolate, a cap full of wine and a teaspoon of jam or tinned fish every for the day.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

And when that ran out, some tried to eat the leather straps from any of the seats or luggage that they like, pieces that they could find, but they couldn't eat it.

[B]

No.

[A]

Now, it was Nando Parrado who first suggested that they consider eating the meat from the bodies of the dead. He later said, I didn't have any doubts. I had arrived at the conclusion of my thoughts very clearly. No doubt this is the only way out.

[B]

I mean, what else are you going to eat if you're determined to survive at that point?

[A]

There is no part of my dumb ass that's going to sit here and say to you that after weeks after a plane crash, that I survived on the Andes, that I'm not gonna think about eating a dead body. I'm not gonna sit here with any kind of like that.

[B]

And it's also like, you're kind of in the perfect equation because they're not only. They're preserved because of the snow.

[A]

And what do you. What do you.

[B]

What else do you do?

[A]

What do you do at this point? Like, I get it. I get what they do, too. It's totally fine if you know, if you don't. But, yeah, I just can't presume to say that I would. Oh, I would certainly not do that. Like, I don't fucking know. I hope I never have to know.

[B]

That none of us know because we weren't there and we haven't.

[A]

Like, sounds like an awful experience.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The worst kind of experience I can possibly conjure and can't even in my.

[B]

Brain and think of the hungriest you've ever been and then multiply that by six gajillion.

[A]

Literally.

[B]

Like, no, you have to eat. Yeah, you're gonna lose your fucking mind otherwise.

[A]

Exactly. And like you said, they had not begun to decompose because they were laying out. And other than, you know, there being quite a strong social taboo around cannibalism, there was really no other argument that everybody had. Like, everybody was like, that's really. It's all really just like, ethical kind of thing, like moral stuff, which would.

[B]

Be hard, I'm sure, to.

[A]

Of course, I can't even fathom this discussion. Find yourself in that situation, even fathom this discussion. But I get why it got brought up. And again, not a lot. And this decision was not made lightly.

[B]

No.

[A]

Either, like, these people did not just go like, oh, why don't we eat our friends? It's everybody. What they did.

[B]

It's everybody's family members and friends.

[A]

Like, they did not come to this as just like whatever. We might as well like, this is desperation.

[B]

Yeah. And self preservation.

[A]

And Roberto Canessa led the discussion and he very much argued his point from his position as a medical student. He said to them, it is meat. That's all it is. The souls have left. Their bodies are in heaven with God. All that is left here are the carcasses, which are no more human beings than the dead flesh of the cattle we eat at home.

[B]

I mean, I get it.

[A]

And I mean, he's just coming from like a very clinical, logical point of view and being like, these are not your loved ones. Yeah, your loved ones aren't in these shells anymore right now. Once the suggestion was raised to the rest of the survivors, the group spent nearly an entire day discussing it amongst themselves before doing anything. And then finally, after several, several hours, all remaining survivors agreed that they had little choice other choice if they wanted to live.

[B]

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[A]

In the years after the rescue. Again, like I said before, this aspect of the story dominated the narrative and it overshadowed nearly every other part of their ordeal, of course, which, again, I know it's shocking. I'm shocked by it. I'm fascinated by it. Like, of course that's the one part where you go, oh but holy. There's so many other things that they did for each other and to survive this, that is like, also unbelievably, incredibly, like, remarkable outside of my realm of comprehension. But it was the key to their survival at this point, and it was again, only a small part of the story. This story that has so many other things that definitely need to be known for sure, Parrado later said. Everybody in that situation, you would have arrived at the same thought and it's easier than you think.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because he's probably like, when you're that hungry, that's the thing. I can't imagine.

[B]

I'm just thinking, like I said, of the hungriest I've ever been and then multiplying it to, like, the nth degree.

[A]

Think of that stomachache you get when you are hungry.

[B]

And it hurt. Like, it feels. You feel empty.

[A]

So they all also made a pact with each other that should any of them die before being rescued, their bodies were to be used as food to help the others survive.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

So they all made a pact with each other that if I don't survive this, you're gonna survive it because you're gonna use my meat.

[B]

Wow. What a sentence.

[A]

My brain, like, won't. I just can't fathom.

[B]

It's the ultimate having that business.

[A]

It is like. And it's just like. And to have. To have that discussion and to know.

[B]

If you die out here, you're going to be eaten.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, you are not the only thing.

[A]

That would hopefully comfort you in any, like, sense of the word if you were dying in that sense. It's like keeping your friends. I'm gonna keep my friends alive. Like, I'm gonna give them a hope.

[B]

And in a weird way, it's not even like I'm.

[A]

Yeah. It's like, I agree with vessel that I'm walking around in.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Will at least be my shell to hopefully get them out of here. Yeah. Like, that's, like, weird. I don't. It's just. That's wild.

[B]

It's some kind of logic, you know? And I agree, like, believe whatever you want, but.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

When you're gone, you're gone.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, that's what I.

[B]

It's not your body anymore.

[A]

It's just like there's. There's something else there. So it's like. Yeah, it's. And. But again, what a.

[B]

Hard to fathom.

[A]

What a wildly difficult conversation to navigate. Yeah. That they must have had.

[B]

But, you know, they. They'd already gotten through the worst they had.

[A]

Now, after they'd come to an agreement, and it was. Everybody came to the agreement. A small group of the young men left the fuselage and walked to the area where they had put the bodies of the dead. And they.

[B]

That must have been.

[A]

Oh, heavy. They said they were all wildly uncomfortable, obviously, of course, wildly upset, but they just knew what they had to do. But none of them walked out there being like, cool, we're gonna go eat our friends. Like, they were all horrifically yeah. Traumatized by this. Yeah. But they reasoned that, you know, and this is a quote, God wanted them to live, and he had given them the means to do so in the dead bodies of their friends. It would be wrong now to reject this gift of life because they were a little too squeamish.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

It was decided that Kanessa, because he was a medical student, was probably the most appropriate person to cut the bodies because they didn't want to mutilate the bodies of their friends either. And so they used a piece of broken glass from the plane.

[B]

I was wondering what they ended up using.

[A]

And he cut pieces of frozen. Frozen flesh into 20 strips and laid them out on the roof of the plane to dry in the sun. And then he went back inside and let them all know it's up there. If you want to eat it, eat it. Okay, it's there.

[B]

All right.

[A]

Despite all of them being in the most profound state of hunger that you can possibly even conjure in your imagination, none of them made a move to get it.

[B]

You would not want to be the first person to make that move.

[A]

No, that's the thing. But Canessa himself said he was going to try to set an example, try to make them all feel better about the whole thing, because he knew they were all starving. He's like, you're starving and you're going to.

[B]

And this is what we.

[A]

I'll be the one to start the whole thing. And he went out and he got a piece from the roof. And, you know, he was the one that just a few hours earlier was, like, convincingly arguing that it was no different from the meat of the cattle back at home that they were accustomed to eating.

[B]

But it is, because it's.

[A]

It is. But he found himself, like, pretty much paralyzed when it came to actually eating the meat. And he had to force himself to bring his hand up and, like, shove it into his mouth. Decades later, Ramon Cebela would recall this whole experience with the same way. He said, of course, the idea of eating human flesh was terrible, repugnant. It was hard to put in your mouth, but we got used to it. So none of them are like, yeah, it was great. Like, thanks. Thanks a bunch, friends. Like, they're all. They're like, it was the fucking worst experience of my life.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And it's true. The food, actually. And it's, like, remarkably nourishing, this sustenance. So it has a lot of. You know, we're full of vitamins and nutrients. So it's like this was. And it's Meat. Yeah, it's got a lot to like. So for the first time since the crash, several of these young men started feeling like, okay, I'm getting my strength back. Like, I'm feeling like I can get through this. And because they were feeling physically stronger, their resolve was getting more strong. Sure. So they were like, this is the gift that our friends have given us. Like, they. They wanted this. You know what I mean? Like, that's how they had.

[B]

They would have wanted this. Yeah.

[A]

Now, having solved their biggest problem, starvation, they started discussing how they might get the fuck out of the Andes. After a couple of weeks in the mountains, they had actually kind of acclimated to their surroundings a little bit, and they started to learn things they should do, things they shouldn't do. Parrado said, we started to acclimate. You start to learn. I started to learn how to walk in the snow properly. On day 12, a small group managed to climb several miles up the mountain, actually. Wow. Hoping that up there they would be able to maybe spot some civilization in one direction or another. But every time they thought they were reaching the top of the peak, they would find another higher peak just above them.

[B]

Oh, God.

[A]

And they couldn't see anything through it. But it was on this trek that when they reached an outcropping of rock, finally, that had broken through the snow, that they found one of the plane's wings, and it was twisted, scattered across the snow, and with it, they found five of their former traveling companions.

[B]

Oh, God.

[A]

Gaston Castamale, Alexis Haune, Guido Magri, Joaquin Ramirez, and Ramon Martinez.

[B]

That must have been awful.

[A]

Yeah, they were. They were, you know, preserved as well because of the freezing temperatures, but their faces were black, which suggested that they had been burned by the engines or the fuel when they were ripped out of the plane. Oh, my God. Now, although they had discovered more of the wreckage and the missing bodies of their friends, they didn't really come out of the mountains with anything else.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Unfortunately, they hadn't managed to gain any more insight into their location. They hadn't found anything useful in the wreckage that they had found. And most importantly, they were now exhausted, physically.

[B]

Literally trucked up a mountainside.

[A]

And they said if they thought they were going to be hiking out of these mountains to go get help, that short excursion proved that that was going to be a lot more difficult than they thought, maybe impossible.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Now, by October 29th, the survivors had fallen into kind of like a routine at this point. They were keeping a schedule. They were maintaining order. It was like a little.

[B]

It's like survival.

[A]

Yeah. And that day, October 29, they had broken into smaller groups and spent the morning cleaning the fuselage, cutting and drying meat, melting snow. And those who were still too weak were, you know, resting in hammock beds that they'd created from materials. And for most of the day, it was unusually calm. But then later, the sky started getting darker and this, like, wicked cold wind started whipping through, and everyone. It was too cold for everyone to be outside, so they got into the fuselage altogether, and they spent the rest of the night just telling stories, trying to keep warm, chatting with each other about family, about what they're going to do when they get out of here. And then, one by one, they drifted off to sleep. Now, Roy Harley was laying awake on the floor, squeezed between Javier Methyl and Carlitos Paez, when he felt this, like, weird vibration run through the floor of the plane. And just seconds later, he heard what he described as the sound of metal falling to the ground. And he jumped up to see what was happening. And he had a T shirt covering his face, like, to try to get away from the wind, but he'd only just stood up when he was hit by a wall of snow that buried him to his waist and nearly knocked him to the ground. An avalanche. When he pulled his shirt away from his face, he was horrified to see that the plane was just hit by a fucking avalanche. And the entire fuselage was filled with snow, densely packed snow. It had knocked down all of the walls that they had built up, and it had buried everyone who had been laying on the floor.

[B]

So not only did these people survive the wildest plane crash of all time, but now they've been hit by a motherfucking avalanche.

[A]

And all the shit that they have spent weeks and weeks building to keep themselves together, gone.

[B]

And all of their. The bodies would. Which is their food source is now buried under how much snow. Oh, my God. So Roy must question absolutely everything.

[A]

Like, how do you go after the avalanche? I'm like, how. How did you get the will? Because that would have been. I don't know how mentally I would have been able to get myself out of that.

[B]

No.

[A]

So Roy is frantic. He starts digging down into the snow to get any of his friends and manages to uncover Carlito's face. But the snow was packed too densely, and he wasn't able to free any more of his body, just his face.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

He knew there were others. So he left Carlitos where he was and started furiously digging around. And he kept seeing hands pop up. So he's digging around the hands. And he managed to first free Roberto Canessa, who immediately started digging to free others. And one by one, they dug each other out of the snow, which had begun to settle and was now forming a sheet of ice across the surface.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

Nando Parrado had also been laying on the floor alongside several others and was completely buried when the avalanche hit. He later said, which, goodness, I couldn't move. I was under rubble, but I could breathe. Teeth. And he said he laid buried in the snow for 30 minutes, and he would take shallow breaths to try to keep from suffocating. Oh, how do you not hyperventilate?

[B]

I have no idea. I would. I would absolutely, without a doubt, hyperventilate.

[A]

And he said within the. After the 30 minutes, he said he just kind of, like, accepted that he was gonna die buried in snow. And then someone started scraping the ice and snow away from his face and hauled him out of the snow.

[B]

Even I feel like I can't breathe just hearing this.

[A]

And they just didn't give up on each other.

[B]

No. Like, these people must have been lifelong friends, literally.

[A]

Yes. And yes. Spoiler alert. Yes. They. And, like, after ripping each other, being buried in the snow, hit, hit by an avalanche. Avalanche. Torn out of the snow, they all just immediately start digging for the other people. They're not, like, taking a second to be like, oh, my God, I just got hit by an avalanche.

[B]

They're all just running on, just getting each other. Adrenaline.

[A]

Outside the plane. There's a blizzard raging, by the way, inside, they're doing their best just to get everyone out of this snow. And in filling the plane with densely packed snow, the avalanche also blocked every exit. And they were now trapped in the fuselage.

[B]

No.

[A]

Yep. Buried to their waists in freezing snow.

[B]

Oh, my. How did they not get hypothermia?

[A]

That I have no idea. And so, I mean, some of them most certainly did, but, yeah, of course. And they didn't know whether the weight of the snow on the top of the fuselage was enough to crush them. They had no idea how much snow was on top of them.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

Prado later said, we didn't know if we had enough air. We didn't know if we had 2 meters, 4 meters, or 50 meters of snow on top of us. Oh, my God. They had no idea. And equally bad was the realization that not everyone had made it through the avalanche. Yeah, some had been completely buried by the compact snow, and others had been crushed. Crushed by the falling debris from the makeshift wall. Oh, like, can you Imagine.

[B]

No. No.

[A]

Of the 27 survivors who laid down to sleep that night, eight died in the avalanche. Wow. Those killed were Carlos Roque, Daniel Maspons, Juan Carlos Menendez, Liliana Methyl, Gustavo Nicolic, Marcelo Perez, Enrique Politero, and Diego Storm were all killed in the avalanche. Now, a few hours later, a second avalanche struck. No.

[B]

No.

[A]

Yeah. But the only good thing was that they had already been buried by the first one. So it just kind of rolled over the already buried plane. Once it felt safe enough to move without triggering another avalanche, Nando used a cargo pole to punch a large hole through the roof of the plane, which allowed fresh air to enter through.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

But while they were, you know, it was keeping them from being suffocated, you know, suffocated by this. They were still buried. Yeah. Like, and even if they could get out of the plane, the blizzard conditions outside were gonna kill them.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Like, what do you do? I have no idea. The group spent four days buried in that plane just waiting for the blizzard to pass. Four days.

[B]

So stop it.

[A]

At night, they slept in just like a tangle with each other again, punching each other's arms and legs to try to keep circulation up. On the fourth day, when they were finally able to emerge from the plane, they forced themselves into the cockpit and squeezed past the bodies of the pilot and co pilot, who are still there. And then they spent hours working in 15 minute shifts to dig out and exit through the broken windshield of the cockpit.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

Yeah. They managed to drag some of the bodies out through the tunnel they'd created. But those that were buried too deeply in the dense snow were just left where they died. In the week that followed, they worked tirelessly to clear out some of the snow so they would at least have, like, some protection from the elements. But much of the interior was too densely packed with snow. They couldn't even move it. Wow. With what little resources, they had now obliterated by an avalanche and their shelter, I mean, seriously compromised, There were now 19 survivors, and they had to make a fucking decision at this point. They were like, what do we do? We can't stay here.

[B]

No.

[A]

If they were gonna make it out of here alive, they were gonna have to walk out.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So in the earliest days after the crash, several of the survivors started talking about walking out of the mountains for help. Of course, that was always on everyone's mind. Yeah. The problem, of course, was that they didn't have any equipment, they didn't have any training necessary to make that kind of trek.

[B]

And they're on the side of a fucking mountain.

[A]

And also they have no fucking idea where they are or what direction civilization is. So they would take short hikes out of the valley just to see, like we talked about before. But again, those would only emphasize how unprepared they were to take such a trek. Right. So once the danger of the, you know, future avalanches and snowdrifts was here, they decided the only way out was for them to hike out. Out. So three of the strongest members of the remaining survivors, Parrado Canessa and Antonia Visiton, volunteered to make the trip. And they started immediately preparing. They weren't, they weren't just going to go straight out. They were going to prepare for it. Now, this kind of journey would have been hard for the most experienced mountaineer to do. And even then, they would have been outfitted with like, everything that you need. Specialized climbing and hiking equipment, all the things you need.

[B]

Food.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Water.

[A]

And among all of this, they were also complete. These people are also completely unfamiliar with the terrain outside the valley. So they were at huge risk for falling into hidden valleys and random crevasses in the earth, slipping off an ice plane, becoming buried in a snow drift. There's like any host of dangers out there. And also they would have to do a certain amount of climbing over icy and rocky terrain, all of which they would have to do without climbing shoes, ice axes, any safety equipment, ropes.

[B]

All I can do right now is think of the beginning of this episode when I was like, I woke up early and took a walk on my treadmill.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Wow, wow, wow, wow. These people are like, I survived a plane crash, two avalanches, and hiked outside of mountains that I don't even know where they were.

[A]

Yeah. With no equipment.

[B]

And I complain about, like waking up.

[A]

Early, but you know what? If this is a motivation to get the up and do some stuff you've been meaning to do my day. Yeah. Prado said, I knew that when I gave the first step to leave the fuselage, I was not coming back. This is a kamikaze expedition.

[B]

I mean. Yeah.

[A]

So the three men spent weeks preparing for this, gathering whatever supplies they could find. They made sleeping bags from sewn together cushions and fabric.

[B]

How did you. How'd they even sew anything?

[A]

No idea. I think it was like, hand tied kind of.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

And they made a sled crafted out of suitcases that, like pieces of suitcases that they had because they, I think they didn't have like, maybe they had like one or two pieces of luggage, but they did not. They missed. They Were missing quite a bit of luggage.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

They also spent the days consuming large amounts of fat and meat to try to, like, build up strength. They took short trips into the surrounding mountains, like, trying to see how they could build up their strength. And on one of those trips, they found the wreckage of the tail, the plane's tail, and all of the luggage.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[A]

Well, that's good luggage. To them. This was like a gold mine.

[B]

The ultimate sign to keep going.

[A]

They got dry clothes, chocolate candies, a ski kit with poles they could use for the hike. Wow. Tell me they weren't meant to find that.

[B]

Dude. That just makes you believe that the universe works. Works for you.

[A]

Ski a ski kit with poles.

[B]

That is so. It's the secret. It is.

[A]

That's wild.

[B]

Like, purest form. Like, they said, we're getting out of here. We're gonna figure it out. We're gonna build up our stamina. And they were not. It didn't sound like they were negative in any way whatsoever. And they. All the shit they needed. Not all the shit, but, like, most of the shit they needed came to them.

[A]

And it's like, you know, there were times of deep despair, of course, and deep hopelessness here I can't. The likes of which probably most of us can never know, understand or fathom or conjure in our minds. No, but I think that, like, what was important here was that they didn't let it consume them.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

They just said, we're getting out of here. We're gonna figure out how to get out of here.

[B]

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[A]

Like, for them to do these little trips to try to gain the strength and to prepare. They weren't just like, let's give it our best shot. They were like, oh, no, we're going. We're getting the out of here. We're gonna make sure we are prepared and out of here.

[B]

I cannot wait to hear about the lives that they led wild.

[A]

They also, in the luggage, they found a bottle of rum.

[B]

You need it at that point.

[A]

Many cartons of Cigarettes.

[B]

Nice.

[A]

Bottles of Coca Cola, which. Holy shit.

[B]

A crisp Coke after two avalanches.

[A]

Oh, my God. I can't imagine how good those Cokes taste.

[B]

Oh, my God. But also, you have to go so slow.

[A]

Yeah. You can't just. Your body's not used to it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, my God. They also found a crate of moldy sandwiches, which at that point, eat away.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Let's go.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That night, they camped at the site, eating a pretty large meal.

[B]

They had a feast that night and.

[A]

Finishing it off with a dessert, they called it, which was a paste made of sugar, toothpaste and rum.

[B]

Oh, God.

[A]

Which, you know, so bleak. They're hungry. But this time, unfortunately, was not one just of hope and just of good things. There was more tragedy to come. Two weeks after the avalanche, one of the survivors, Arturo Nogueira, had become sick and started getting weaker as the days passed. He became delirious and eventually fell into a coma and died on November 15th. Imagine, like, he got so far.

[B]

That's awful.

[A]

Nogueira's death was followed a few days later by Raphael Echeveran, who died from an infection in his leg. Oh. A few weeks after Echeveran passed, Numa Turkati died in his sleep from. From sepsis. So it was like really one after the other. And to get that far and to survive the crash, survive two avalanches, and then have that be the case, like, that's awful. Now, by the time that Tercatti had passed, the group had been stranded in the Andes for 61 days.

[B]

61 days.

[A]

And it was clear to the three volunteers that the longer they waited, the more likely it was that people were going to die.

[B]

Yeah, they had to go.

[A]

So on the morning of December 12, Parrado, Canessa and Visiton left the valley, headed to the west, where they believed they would find help. Before leaving, they dressed in several layers of clothing, because, again, they had found those fucking luggage things.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And even fashioned socks made of human skin. They did this because they felt like it would keep their feet from getting soaked with water, which would put them at risk for frostbite. Yeah, pretty smart. Smart. Very macabre.

[B]

Rough.

[A]

Very smart.

[B]

Morbid.

[A]

Within a few days of hiking, it became clear to the three on the trip that this was going to be a lot harder than they thought it would be. And they thought it was going to be pretty fucking hard. There were several sheer ice cliffs and rock walls to climb, all again, with no equipment or experience. On the second night, Canessa and Parrado suggested it might be better if Byzantine returned to the plane because they said it would give them more food rations and increase the likelihood of getting help.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

They were like, maybe we shouldn't have all three of us out here. So visiting. Agreed. He was like, you know what? Yeah. So he began the trek back to the plane while they continued doing that.

[B]

All by yourself?

[A]

No. For nearly a week, Canessa and Parrado hiked and climbed through the Andes, at times climbing nearly a thousand feet in one day.

[B]

Holy.

[A]

That is twice the recommended daily climb for an experienced hiker.

[B]

That's it. Insane. That just shows you how absolutely determined they were.

[A]

They also were going through several bouts of altitude sickness, which is awful if.

[B]

You'Ve ever been altitude sick. Oh.

[A]

Oh, no. On multiple occasions, they were deceived, too, by what looked like a short distance between one location and another, only to have it suddenly stretch out for miles and miles early in their trip. They spent days climbing thousands of feet up the mountain, too. To just look on the other side and find it completely impassable. So to have to go all the way back down, that's horrific. Now, after about a week of walking, the pair began to notice the environment around them started changing a little.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

The once frozen terrain started to soften, and then all of a sudden, they started seeing signs of life.

[B]

I can't even imagine what that would feel like.

[A]

They saw an old campfire.

[B]

That would be euphoric.

[A]

Animal manure.

[B]

Stop it.

[A]

Eventually, they saw some cows.

[B]

Dude, I would cry. I would cry on those cows.

[A]

Finally, on December 20, Canessa and Parrado reached a river and began following it until they saw the smoke from a campfire across the river. When Canessa. Then Canessa spotted two men by the fire, one standing, the other on a horse too weak to walk, he just yelled for Parrado, who ran to the edge of the water. And immediately they were trying to catch the men's attention, urging them to come to the edge of the water, which the man did. But the noise of the rushing river made it impossible for them to hear each other.

[B]

Stop it.

[A]

So the man across the way pulled out a piece of paper and wrote a message. And then he wrapped it around a rock and tossed it to the other side.

[B]

Just the where with all of these people.

[A]

I always say people are gonna. People. Here's another reason people are peopling.

[B]

People are people in a good way.

[A]

But in the good way, people are peopling. Nando grabbed the rock and unwrapped the note, and it reads, there is a man coming later that I Told him to go, tell me what you want. And in response, Nando sat down and wrote this note. I come from a plane that fell in the mountains. I'm Uruguayan. We have been walking for 10 days. I have a friend up there who is injured in the plane. There are still 14 injured people. We have to get out of here quickly, and we don't know how. We don't have any food. We are weak. When are you. Come and fetch us, please. We can't even walk. Where are we? Oh, now. Before sending the note back over the river, he took out a tube of red lipstick that he had in his pocket from the luggage and wrote SOS on the bottom of the note.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And then he threw it back to him. The man read the note slowly, then looked up at Nando and indicated that he understood. Then he took a large chunk of bread from his bag and tossed it to them. People gonna mumble. People gonna. People.

[B]

Oh, my God. Can you imagine?

[A]

This is what we needed to hear for, like, in the beginning, the beginning of the year.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

We didn't need another hopeless story of people being terrible to each other.

[B]

No, we needed this.

[A]

This is the energy to bring into 2025.

[B]

Imagine what that bread must have tasted like.

[A]

Oh, my God.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

I can't even fathom. Wow, I say. I know I've said that a lot. I can't. Fathoming is not something I can do in this episode.

[B]

I've said remarkable. We're all using the same adjectives.

[A]

And it was before he left to get help. He was like, here's some bread. Like, please eat. Nando rushed back to Canessa, and they shared their food and news that after 69 days in the mountain, they were going to be saved. Now it turned out that the man on the other side of the river was a local farmer named Sergio Catalan. He lived high in the mountains, and after discovering Prado and Canessa by the river, he himself traveled 10 hours by mule to the nearest police station to get them home help. 10 hours on by mule himself.

[B]

And they must have been losing some kind of help help at that point.

[A]

Like, not knowing if he's gonna come.

[B]

Back, because then it's like, I'm assuming 10 hours back.

[A]

Well, and then they. A few hours after he left, they were discovered by another man on horseback who gave them more food and water. Then carefully, he loaded them onto the back of his horse and brought them to his hut.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

Where he shared some cheese and gave them a place to lay down and rest.

[B]

Oh, people, people Angeling.

[A]

Right. Parrado said Roberto was very weak. He gave everything that he had. Everybody gave everything that they had.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

Over the course of 10 days, the two men had traveled 37 miles. Oh, my God. Under some of the most intense and bad conditions that you can imagine, climbing.

[B]

Hundreds of feet every single day.

[A]

And in fact, years later, when they discovered. Discussed the trip with mountaineering experts, they were told that they, quote, achieved what they did because of their ignorance. Had you known what you were going to face, you would have never left the airplane. You never knew what you were going to face, and that's why you made it. So they're literally like, had you known, no way you would have made that out. But because you went in there completely ignorant and just said, we're getting out.

[B]

Yeah, you did it.

[A]

The next day, a helicopter arrived in the village, and Canessa and Parrado were presented with maps. Maps and asked to point where the plane had crashed. But they indicated where the plane was, and their rescuers were like, no, that's nearly 80 miles away in Argentina. Like, what are you talking about? It couldn't possibly be where it was. So Nando was like, do you want me to get in the helicopter and go show you? Despite everything that he had been through in a aircraft, he was like, I'll get in the helicopter.

[B]

I did. The fact that that didn't even register in my brain. After everything these people have been through, this guy offers to get in a helicopter.

[A]

Nando was like, I'll get in the helicopter so we can go get my friends because, like, I need to get you to them.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Like, they're safe. He's getting in there to get the rest of them. He's like, I can't let you not get them. And so I'm going to get in here, despite what I've been through in the air.

[B]

That's a king right there. If he wanted to, he would.

[A]

He would.

[B]

And if he wanted to, he wanted.

[A]

Did.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

And what he said about it later, when they finally got to the crash site, he said, three of my friends jumped over me like dogs, kissing me and shouting. It was a very surreal and emotional scene. It was their first spark of being alive again.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

The helicopter couldn't accommodate everyone all at once, so they had to leave a few survivors at the site and come back for them after the first group, which, like, must have been the scariest because you're just like, please come back for me. Eventually, they did manage to rescue all 16 survivors who were taken to the hospital that were at the site, taken to the hospital in San Fernando, Chile, where they were treated for various injuries and severe malnutrition.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But the news of the rescue came as an absolute shock to everyone, particularly the families of the survivors.

[B]

Oh, you must have just thought your family member was dead.

[A]

They were grieving.

[B]

Two months.

[A]

Yeah. Even more surprising was the fact that, according to their doctors, their survivors were deemed to be, despite all what they went through, in surprisingly good condition.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Despite what they had been through, like, you know, relatively.

[B]

Like you said, we're full of vitamins and nutrients.

[A]

But although they had lost a significant amount of weight now, at first, the group appears to. In the beginning, they look like they kind of, like, minimized their ordeal to the press.

[B]

They did.

[A]

Yeah. They were all just like, you know what? It's fine. So Robert, Roberto Canessa told a reporter after the crash, I looked to one side, and there was my friend Fernando. I asked him if he was all right and he said yes. He said he only had some bruises.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

The truth of what happened. Prado was unconscious for several days and had sustained a head injury.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

But he was just like, ah. You know, I looked over, my friend was fine. Like, let's move on. Like, he was just like, we don't need to talk about it.

[B]

Because it probably didn't sink in for all of them.

[A]

Instead, none of them wanted to focus on, like, the tragedy of the whole thing. Instead, they wanted to focus on their survival instincts. Like, they were just like, we got out of there. Like, that's what matters here. Like, none of them wanted, like, pity. None of them wanted any of that. They were like, we got together, we stayed together, we worked together, and we stayed alive together.

[B]

And they probably were like, we're out of there now, and we don't really want to think about it that much again.

[A]

Well, and I think they were literally to know is that we worked as a team and because we cared about our fellow human. That's why we're here.

[B]

We are.

[A]

And Canessa said all who could do so worked. The others prayed, but we all kept our faith.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

And again, who knows why they chose to, like, minimize the extent of the trauma and injuries they sustained. But the most glaring thing that was left out of their story, obviously, was how they had managed to avoid starvation.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The press noted that they had melted snow to avoid dehydration and managed to avoid starvation by rationing, you know, what food was left on the plane. And I understand why they wanted to leave this part out of here. You know, like, why? That's not what should be focused on here. But within a few days, Chilean officials had leaked the real explanation for how the survivors had stayed alive.

[B]

So unnecessary.

[A]

Yeah. And the press, of course, sees the story.

[B]

Oh, yeah, it's salacious.

[A]

The report said. Police sources said that after the food aboard the plane ran out, the exhausted survivors ate one body every five days. And other sources told journalists the rescuers, quote, found six cut up human bodies at the crash site. Which is like. Yeah, that's true. That is what happened. And of course, reporting on it would be priority because that's a very fascinating and horrifying part of it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because obviously cannibalism has been the subject of, like, horror and also fascination to the public for literal centuries. So, like, you understand why this is like a massive part of this. And obviously it's like one of the biggest taboos you can conjure.

[B]

Of course.

[A]

And again, they had good reason to keep that to themselves because of that. In Alive, which again, is the book that you guys should definitely read by Piers Paul Reed, he said they thought they would be stoned in the streets. They were scared. But fortunately, while understandable that feeling, they were wrong.

[B]

That's good.

[A]

That's not what they received. They still claim they had a significant amount of food on board the plane. One survivor said that they thought they could survive if they rationed for, you know, another few weeks. But the reality of their surviving on chocolate and other snacks for two months was just not reality. In the end, most people understood that under the circumstances, they had no other choice but to resort to eating meat.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

In his speeches about the experience, Ramon Cebela always asked the audience, would any of you not have done the same thing? And he has yet to have anyone raise their hand.

[B]

Yeah, that would be such a.

[A]

Imagine looking at that man and being like, nah, I wouldn't.

[B]

You know, somebody.

[A]

In the years that followed the survivor's story became honestly, like a beacon of hope.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And like the ability to triumph over the most extreme circumstances and challenges you can imagine. In 1974, Reid's book about the experience, the Stories of the Andy Survivors, was released. Much acclaim. To this day, people know that book, and this is it kind of like reignited the interest in learning more about this story and what they went through.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Outside of just the cannibalism kind of thing. Right. Canessa said of the whole, like, fame that came with this story. He said there's a difference in how you feel you are and how others see you. And he said he was Surprised at how little judgment they had received for their actions. And he was also kind of shocked by the attention they were getting for surviving the whole thing, which I was like, dude, like, you. The fact that you don't know what you've done. Now, in the decades since the crash, the survivors have all gone on to live very productive lives.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

None of them want to waste their good fortune.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, all of them looked at it as, like, this is a gift, and I need not waste it. Nando Parada became a motivational speaker.

[B]

Nice.

[A]

And has written a book and several articles about the whole thing. Canessa went on to finish medical school. Yes. Yep. And became a pediatric cardiologist. Wow. Yeah. He also has written and spoken extensively about the whole ordeal in the Andes. Many of the others have chosen to keep their lives a little more private.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

They don't totally get that. They're kind of. They're doing the damn thing, but they're like, yep, I did it. But they've all gone to find success in whatever they've done.

[B]

Yay.

[A]

And every year, the remaining survivors get together on the anniversary of the crash, and they all gather in the salon that Roberto Canessa has built onto his home specifically for the purpose of this yearly meeting.

[B]

Shut the fuck up.

[A]

And I have never been happier to hear something like that. I was like, fuck, yeah, you do.

[B]

I love that. Like, that's a bond that no one other than those 14. 14 to 16 people.

[A]

Yeah. Like, that's.

[B]

Could ever understand.

[A]

I'm just on another level. Like, imagine being in that room. This, like, that feeling in that room must be insane.

[B]

And reminiscing, like, remember when you breathed your hot breath on me to keep me.

[A]

Kept me alive and, like, punched my leg to keep circulation until you were too exhausted?

[B]

My God. And just the. The trauma that they all share.

[A]

The trauma bond everybody beyond. But, like, just. And the fact that Roberto Canessa has, like, one. Gone on to become a pediatric cardiologist.

[B]

Incredible.

[A]

When he was in medical school, during that, like, good for him.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And then, like, built this specific little thing onto his home so that they can have their meetings every year.

[B]

Like, shut the up. That's beautiful.

[A]

It is. It's so beautiful.

[B]

That is one of the gnarliest stories I've ever heard.

[A]

Most tragic, but most inspiring and, like, uplifting in the.

[B]

And I had heard of that one. And, of course, I mainly just heard that, like, they ate each other.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

But, wow. I did not know the details.

[A]

It is such an. It is just an incredible story.

[B]

A plane Crash. And two motherfucking avalanches.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

In the middle of absolutely nowhere.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Wow. Like, and then the guy throwing them the bread.

[A]

Oh, my God. Like, it just is like. And I like, you look at the pictures.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

That they have from the crash site and everything. It's unbelievable.

[B]

Crazy.

[A]

Truly unbelievable.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Well, new year, new us.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

If that doesn't tackle everything we ever.

[A]

Dreamed of, if that doesn't inspire you to, like, do whatever the it is that you were thinking about doing or changing or fixing or getting better at or.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Releasing from your life.

[B]

Do it. I'm going home to play my electric keyboard. I'm going to figure that out.

[A]

Hell, yeah.

[B]

If those people can figure out how to hike thousands of miles out of a valley in the middle of the Andes, I can learn the. The G chords.

[A]

Yeah, you can.

[B]

Let's go, brother.

[A]

Yeah, you can.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Wow. Wow. Wow. I have no other than to say except wow.

[A]

That's all you can say?

[B]

I can't even speak at this point. Point. So with that being said, go crush your day.

[A]

Do it.

[B]

We hope you keep listening, and we.

[A]

Hope you keep it weird.

[B]

But not so weird that you ever think you can't do anything ever again. Because this story is proof that you could do legitimately, anything.

[A]

Literally anything. No excuse. Sa.

[B]

If you like morbid, you can listen early and ad free right now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey.

[C]

Behind the closed doors of government offices and military compounds, there are hidden stories and buried secrets from the darkest corners of history. From COVID experiments pushing the boundaries of science to operations so secretive they were barely whispered about. Each week on redacted Declassified Mysteries, we pull back the curtain on these hidden histories. 100% true and verifiable stories that expose the shadowy underbelly of power. Consider Operation Paperclip, where former Nazi scientists were brought to America after World War II not as prisoners, but as assets to advance US intelligence during the Cold War. These aren't just old conspiracy theories. They're thoroughly investigated accounts that reveal the uncomfortable truths still shaping our world today. The stories are real. The secrets are shocking. Follow Declassified Mysteries with me, Luke Lamanna on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts to listen ad free. Join Wondery in the Wondery App.